飛夢

"you don't even have to stay the whole time."

you rolled your eyes, sighed dramatically, and eventually agreed.

mostly because saying no to kiyoko shimizu was surprisingly difficult.

you fully expected to spend the afternoon wondering why anyone found volleyball entertaining.

–

game day.

you had caught a bus to sendai city gymnasium, your earbuds in, a book in your hand just in case you get bored.

the moment you stepped through the gymnasium doors, the noise hit you like a wave. sneakers squeaked sharply against the polished hardwood, whistles echoed through the rafters, and conversations from hundreds of spectators blended into one constant hum. banners draped from the railings overhead, their bright colors swaying whenever someone brushed past them, while the scent of varnished wood and the faint rubber smell of volleyballs lingered in the air.

your eyes instinctively scanned the crowded gym, searching for one familiar face among the sea of students and athletes. it didn't take long before you spotted kiyoko standing near karasuno's bench, already dressed in the team's manager uniform. the moment your gazes met, a small smile spread across her face. she lifted a hand in greeting before she excused herself from the team bench and made her way through the crowd, stopping just in front of you.

"hey," she greeted warmly. "you actually showed up. i'm surprised."

you let out a quiet huff of amusement, slipping your hands into the pockets of your jacket.

"hm. i had some free time," you replied casually, as if you hadn't spent the last ten minutes debating whether to walk through the gym doors or turn around and go home.

kiyoko raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "sure you did."

before you could come up with another excuse, she gently grabbed your wrist.

"come on," she said with a small smile. "i'll introduce you to everyone."

your eyes widened.

"n-no—i think i'm fine right here."

"you'll be fine."

"kiyoko..."

"i'm not taking no for an answer."

before you could protest again, she was already leading you across the court.

you stumbled a step before matching her pace, earning a few curious glances from nearby players as you crossed the gym floor. heat crept up the back of your neck. you weren't exactly fond of being the center of attention, especially in a place this crowded.

"kiyoko," you muttered under your breath, trying one last time. "they're getting ready for their match. isn't this a bad time?"

"they'll survive."

"...you're awfully determined."

"i've been trying to get you to come to our game for a week," she replied, glancing over her shoulder with the faintest hint of satisfaction. "i'm not wasting this opportunity."

you sighed dramatically, though there wasn't much conviction behind it anymore.

"...you're lucky we're friends."

"i know."

within seconds, the two of you had reached karasuno's bench, where several players looked up from their warm-ups as kiyoko approached with someone they'd never seen before.

kiyoko stopped just in front of the group, waiting until everyone looked her way.

"guys," she called, "this is [name]. she's one of my closest friends."

"..."

"..."

"..."

for exactly three seconds…

nothing happened.

then tanaka's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"...closest?"

nishinoya blinked once.

"...friend?"

the two slowly turned toward kiyoko, then back to you, as though trying to process the information.

"K-KIYOKO-SAN HAS A BEST FRIEND?!"

"I THOUGHT SHE WAS BORN AS KARASUNO'S MANAGER!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW SHE HAD A LIFE OUTSIDE OF VOLLEYBALL!"

the two first-years collapsed dramatically onto the floor, clutching each other in exaggerated disbelief.

you instinctively took half a step back.

"...should we be worried?"

"no," kiyoko answered. "they're always like this."

"i'm not always like this!" tanaka protested from the floor.

"you absolutely are," a voice sighed.

a tall boy with short black hair stepped forward, rubbing his forehead as if this sort of scene happened every other day.

"sorry about them," he said with an apologetic smile. "i'm daichi sawamura, the captain." he said with a polite nod. "it's nice to meet you."

"you too," you replied with a small smile.

before daichi could say anything else, another upperclassman slipped beside him with an easy grin.

"i'm sugawara koushi."

his smile was warm enough to make even complete strangers feel welcome.

"it's nice to finally meet someone kiyoko talks about."

your eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"she talks about me?"

"only good things," sugawara assured with a laugh.

a few feet behind him, an unusually tall boy awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"asahi azumane..."

he gave you a timid wave.

"nice to meet you."

"...nice to meet you too."

despite his intimidating height, he somehow looked more nervous than you felt.

"i-i swear he's friendly," sugawara whispered with a grin.

your lips curved into the faintest smile.

meanwhile, tanaka had somehow recovered.

he shot to his feet, dramatically smoothing down the front of his jacket before striking what he clearly believed was a cool pose.

"my name is ryunosuke tanaka." he flashed a confident grin.

"if you ever need someone to show you around, i humbly volunteer my services."

"you mean you'll get lost with her," daichi corrected.

before tanaka could defend himself, another blur of orange and black practically launched itself in front of you.

"i'm yu nishinoya! karasuno's guardian deity!", he proudly pointed both thumbs at himself. "the best libero you'll ever meet!"

tanaka immediately shoved him aside.

"quit stealing my introduction!"

"i'm making a better first impression!"

"you wish!"

the two instantly dissolved into another argument.

you glanced toward kiyoko.

"...does this happen often?"

she thought for a moment. "...daily."

"...i see."

your gaze wandered farther down the bench. a short boy with bright orange hair waved enthusiastically the moment your eyes met.

"hi! i'm shoyo hinata!", his smile was impossibly bright. "it's really cool that kiyoko-san got one of her friends to come! are you gonna watch all our games?"

"i..."

before you could answer, another boy beside him gently tugged on his sleeve.

"s-sorry about him," he said sheepishly. "i'm tadashi yamaguchi.", he offered you a small, slightly nervous smile. "it's nice to meet you."

"you too."

leaning against the wall nearby, a tall blond boy looked up from where he'd been adjusting his knee pads. he gave you one brief glance.

"...tsukishima." that was all. no smile. no wave.

just his surname before he looked away again.

"...he's friendlier than he looks," yamaguchi said quickly.

"...debatable," tanaka muttered.

finally, kiyoko turned toward the last remaining player.

"kageyama."

a boy with dark hair looked up from tightening the laces on his volleyball shoes.

for a brief moment, his blue eyes met yours.

"...kageyama." his voice was flat, almost absentminded, as though introductions weren't something he'd given much thought.

he dipped his head in a short nod before returning to what he'd been doing, already focused on the volleyball resting at his feet.

you blinked.

"...that's it?"

sugawara chuckled. "don't take it personally. he gets like that before matches."

"actually," tanaka added with a grin, "that might've been the longest introduction he's ever given."

you couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped you. maybe coming here hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

"you should probably head back to your seat," daichi said with a polite smile. "we're about to start warm-ups."

"right," you nodded.

kiyoko walked you to the edge of the court before stopping.

"i'll come find you after the match."

"you don't have to."

"i know."

she smiled anyway.

"but i will."

with one last wave, she jogged back toward the bench while you climbed the steps toward the bleachers.

you made your way up the bleachers, weaving past clusters of students already chatting excitedly amongst themselves. the higher you climbed, the more the entire gymnasium came into view. the polished wooden court stretched across the center of the building, surrounded by rows of spectators from different schools. banners hung from the railings overhead, and the constant chorus of squeaking sneakers, bouncing volleyballs, and referee whistles echoed throughout the gym.

settling into an empty seat a few rows from the back, you let out a quiet sigh. it was high enough to overlook the entire court without being too far removed from the action, a comfortable middle ground.

not bad.

as you adjusted yourself against the bleachers, something tucked inside the seat pocket in front of you caught your attention.

a tournament pamphlet.

you reached forward, pulling the booklet into your lap before absentmindedly smoothing out the slightly folded cover.

MIYAGI INTERHIGH PRELIMINARIES

bold lettering stretched across the front beneath the tournament logo. without much thought, you flipped it open.

the first page displayed the day's schedule.

9:00 AM - karasuno vs tokonami 11:00 AM - date tech vs. kakugawa 2:00 PM -  aoba johsai vs. ohgiminami TOMORROW - quarterfinals

your eyes lingered on the bracket printed beneath the schedule, quietly tracing the lines with your finger.

so, if karasuno won their opening match...they'd advance to tomorrow's quarterfinals.

you found yourself studying the bracket for another moment longer than intended, mentally piecing together how each match connected to the next.

interesting.

you turned the page.

each participating school had its own section, complete with player rosters, jersey numbers, and positions. your gaze skimmed over karasuno's lineup, pausing only briefly as you recognized a few familiar names from earlier.

daichi sawamura — captain ryūnosuke tanaka — wing spiker  yū nishinoya — libero

your eyes continued downward until they landed on another name.

no. 9: tobio kageyama — setter

setter...?

you frowned ever so slightly before glancing toward the court, where the black-haired first-year was already warming up with the rest of the team.

you weren't entirely sure what a setter did.

perhaps watching the match would answer that question.

you turned the page.

unlike the previous spread, which had simply listed the tournament schedule and bracket, this one immediately caught your attention.

the page was almost entirely white and turquoise, the school's colors framing the edges in clean, bold lines. at the top, printed in large block letters, was a single name.

AOBA JOHSAI HIGH SCHOOL

beneath it sat a full-page feature.

you blinked. "...huh."

you hadn't expected any one school to have an entire page dedicated to it.

curiosity piqued, you adjusted the booklet in your hands and began reading.

returning champions of the miyagi interhigh preliminary tournament.

your eyebrows lifted.

so they'd won before.

your eyes continued scanning the page.

widely regarded as one of miyagi prefecture's strongest volleyball programs, aoba johsai has established itself as the team to beat year after year. their disciplined offense, experienced roster, and exceptional court awareness have earned them the nickname...

you paused.

undefeated powerhouse.

"...undefeated powerhouse," you murmured under your breath.

quite the title.

the article continued below, mentioning several notable players and the team's consistent appearances in the prefectural finals. even without knowing much about volleyball, one thing became abundantly clear.

they weren't just another school.

they were the standard everyone else was chasing.

you glanced back toward the tournament bracket, your finger unconsciously tracing karasuno's path.

if karasuno won today...

...they'd eventually have to face them.

your gaze drifted toward the court, where the karasuno players were still warming up. they laughed with one another between rallies, completely unaware that you were quietly comparing them to the powerhouse described in the pamphlet.

"...i wonder how they'd measure up," you thought.

for the first time since arriving at the gym, you found yourself genuinely interested in how the tournament would unfold.

a sharp whistle suddenly pierced through the gymnasium, snapping you out of your thoughts.

your eyes lifted from the pamphlet almost immediately.

the conversations filling the stands gradually died down, replaced by a wave of anticipation that rippled through the crowd. spectators shifted in their seats, students from both schools gripped their banners a little tighter, and the players who had been casually warming up moments before quickly gathered near their respective benches.

you closed the pamphlet, resting it neatly on your lap.

across the court, the karasuno players formed a loose huddle, exchanging a few final words before jogging toward their starting positions. even from the bleachers, you could feel the shift in their demeanor.

the laughter and easygoing conversations from earlier had vanished.

every movement became sharper.

more deliberate.

more focused.

the same was true for tokonami, whose players stepped onto the court with equally determined expressions.

a referee walked to the center of the court, volleyball tucked beneath one arm, before raising a hand to signal the start of the match.

you leaned forward slightly, resting your elbows on your knees.

you still didn't know much about volleyball.

you couldn't confidently name the positions, and the only rule you could remember from the pamphlet was that the ball wasn't allowed to touch the floor.

still...

you found yourself paying attention.

maybe it was because kiyoko had insisted you come.

or maybe it was simple curiosity.

either way, your eyes remained fixed on the court as the players took their places, waiting for the opening serve.

the first match of the day was about to begin.

the referee's whistle rang through the gym.

the server from tokonami took a steadying breath before tossing the ball into the air.

thwack.

the serve shot across the net with surprising speed.

one of karasuno's players slid underneath it, forearms outstretched as the ball ricocheted high into the air. before you could properly follow where it had gone, another player darted beneath it, fingertips brushing against the ball just long enough to send it soaring toward the left side of the court.

another player jumped.

his hand came crashing down against the ball with a thunderous smack, sending it hurtling toward tokonami's side.

the gym erupted.

you blinked.

"...that was fast."

the rally continued before you could even process the point.

the ball flew back over the net.

someone dove.

another player shouted.

sneakers squealed against the hardwood as bodies shifted across the court with practiced precision, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next.

you found yourself instinctively leaning forward.

the pace was... intense.

far more intense than you'd expected.

everything happened in a matter of seconds.

a serve.

a receive.

a set.

a spike.

a whistle.

then everyone reset as though nothing had happened.

you couldn't keep up.

your eyes chased the volleyball from one side of the court to the other, only to lose it halfway through nearly every rally.

"...how does anyone even follow this?" you murmured to yourself.

the crowd certainly had no trouble.

cheers erupted whenever karasuno scored, while tokonami's supporters answered with equal enthusiasm after every point their team earned.

you, on the other hand...

...were completely lost.

enough.

your eyes were beginning to ache from trying to follow the ball.

every rally felt like a blur of movement, one second it was soaring over the net, the next someone had already sent it back. every time you thought you'd figured out where to look, the ball had already changed direction.

with a quiet sigh, you gave up trying to track it altogether.

instead, your gaze drifted across karasuno's side of the court, settling on the players themselves.

one in particular caught your attention. number 9.

unlike everyone else, he never seemed to stop moving.

even when the ball wasn't coming toward him, he was already taking small, calculated steps across the court. his head turned constantly, eyes flicking between his teammates, the opposing blockers, and the empty spaces on the floor as if he were piecing together a puzzle only he could see.

he wasn't the tallest. he wasn't the loudest.

in fact, he barely celebrated whenever karasuno scored.

yet...everyone seemed to revolve around him.

another serve crossed the net.

karasuno received it cleanly, and before you could blink, the ball found its way to number 9.

again.

he jumped. not to attack, but to meet the ball at its highest point. his fingers barely lingered against it before sending it arcing toward the left antenna with uncanny precision.

a flash of orange.

the gym exploded into cheers.

another point for karasuno.

you frowned ever so slightly.

that had happened before.

hadn't it?

the next rally began.

receive.

number 9.

set.

spike.

point.

again.

your eyes narrowed, no longer following the ball, but following him.

It wasn't a coincidence that every offensive play started with him.

the ball always seemed to find its way into his hands before anyone else scored.

almost as if...he was the one deciding where it went.

you glanced down at the tournament pamphlet still resting on your lap, flipping back to karasuno's roster.

your finger traced down the list until it stopped beside a familiar jersey number.

no. 9: tobio kageyama — setter

setter...

so that's what a setter did.

your gaze lifted back to the court just as kageyama barked a quick instruction to one of his teammates before slipping effortlessly into position for the next play.

you watched him a little more closely this time.

maybe volleyball wasn't as random as you'd first thought.

maybe there was someone quietly orchestrating all of it.

and maybe...that someone was tobio kageyama.

𝓉𝒶𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉 : @cemeterysai, @a-whiterose, @kxshgonemad (js comment or dm if u wanna be in the series taglist!!) LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED!